Joseph H. Hodges, Jr. and Calvin D. Jones have spent their professional lives serving and protecting others – as long-time officers with the Omaha Police Department and now as owners of Lion’s Gate Security Solutions, Inc., our May Small Business of the Month.
“We believe that security solutions and safety are essential elements of a productive work environment,” says Hodges, who is also retired Air Force and a decorated war veteran.
Launched in November of 2010, Lion’s Gate succeeds by integrating physical security with workplace safety and emerging technology.
“Lions Gate constantly keeps abreast of security and safety technology in order to protect our clients’ property, persons and visitors,” Hodges says. “Our overall goal is to give our clients officers that reflect their professional standards and can integrate into their workforce as if they were actually employed by our client.”
Winning Insights from Our May Winner:
Providing an Excellent Customer Experience
“Lions Gate provides professional officers that reflect the standards and ideals of our clients. We consider our relationship with our clients a partnership rather than a contract. Contracts are temporary whereas relationships are permanent. That results in buy-in and investment by all parties concerned.
“As owners, we meet all of our clients and have a personal relationship with them in order to fully understand and implement their service needs.”
Empowering Employees and Creating a Culture in which They Can Grow and Succeed
“Lions Gate believes in providing a work environment that allows employees to be mentored by our professional security managers. Training courses are available to support the subject-knowledge base they’ll need to be successful, and when advanced positions are available, they’re able to show their qualifications and fitness for that position.”
Value of Chamber Involvement
“Actively participating in the Chamber is the key to success. When we first started out, we were told to go to the Chamber for assistance. We weren’t sure if the Chamber was right place to assist us, but we were open to anything that may give us the best chance at success. We sat down with Winsley Durand. He found out who we were and what we were trying to accomplish and laid out a detailed plan of what to do and who to speak to. It was a daunting amount of homework, but we followed his advice and things happened exactly as planned. We were off to a solid start because of sage advice provided by the Chamber.”
Impacting the Community
As a result of growth and expansion, Lions Gate has been instrumental in providing jobs and training to individuals in Omaha’s 68110 zip code, which is impacted by an unemployment rate of more than 17-percent – among the highest in the country.
“Lions Gate provides our employees with a higher starting pay rate than most equivalent security companies in the Omaha area. We also provide professional training and national certifications to improve their skills and ability to advance in the security industry. A number of our employees have been able to move on to larger corporations that are able to provide them with higher pay and benefits. This has a positive effect on their families and the community, as well, for generations.”
Want to learn more about Lion’s Gate Security Solutions? Check out the company’s website.
United Republic Bank is the sponsor of the Small Business of the Month award. View more information or nominate a small business online.
